Following the grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina on August 21, 2004 the then BNP-led parliament put the blame on the Awami League for the massacre instead of holding the executive accountable in line with the constitutional obligation.
Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, the speaker of the BNP-led 8th parliament, did not even accept the opposition’s proposal to hold a discussion on the adjournment motion in line with the rule 62 of the Rules of Procedure in the parliament.
For an adjournment discussion, the parliament suspends all of its businesses for a specific day and dedicates the whole discussion to a single issue, usually the very serious one. The adjournment motion is considered to be a censure of the government.
Sircar rather allowed a general discussion on the grenade attack under the rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure, apparently to lessen its gravity.
Never before have at least 55 Awami League MPs had gathered in front of the speaker’s chair demanding an adjournment discussion on the then-leader of the opposition.
But all treasury bench lawmakers along with the speaker - putting earphones over their ears - pressed ahead with the usual businesses of the parliament, resulting in total pandemonium in the House on September 15: the third day of the first session after the grenade attack.
At one stage Awami League legislators walked out of the House as the speaker started the general discussion on the August 21 grenade attack. The discussion started at 7.30pm and continued up to 11.16pm in presence of then Premier Khaled Zia.
The Awami League MPs, in all, submitted 26 adjournment motions on the August 21 grenade attack.
On September 15, the speaker decided to hold a general discussion on the August 21 grenade attack along with a question-answer session for the prime minister and ministers.
The AL lawmakers skipped the 30-mintue question-answer session for Khaleda Zia at the start of the sitting at 5.00pm with Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar in the chair.
As soon as the speaker went ahead with the scheduled question-answer hour for the ministers, the Awami League MPs entered the House and assembled in front of the speaker.
They chanted slogans demanding a discussion on the adjournment motion instead of a general discussion. Immediately a pandemonium broke out as the BNP lawmakers stood up and began to shout back at them.
Sircar even averted the looks of the opposition lawmakers and proceeded with his scheduled question-answer hour for the ministers. The chair then asked the treasury bench lawmakers to use earphones so as not to be disturbed by the commotion created by the AL.
At 6.13pm the speaker adjourned the House for 20 minutes but the sitting resumed at 6.45pm.
After the question-answer session was over Sircar declared the opposition’s adjournment proposals null and void saying the government had formed a judicial commission to investigate the August 21 grenade attack.
He said, the Rules of Procedure of the parliament did not allow the acceptance of such notices for adjournment as such discussions in the parliament could influence the ongoing investigation.
As the BNP MPs started the general discussion on the August 21 grenade attack, the Awami League MPs walked out of the House at 7.30pm.
Taking the floor during the general discussion Shamsul Alam Pramanik (Naogaon) said the throwers of the Arges grenades needed “military skill”. “But all the grenades dropped on the street, not on the truck on which Sheikh Hasina was speaking.”
“At least one grenade could have fallen on the truck. People have to think about why it did not happen,” he said.
He said the grenade attack was launched on Sheikh Hasina’s instruction or on the order of her party leaders just to portray Bangladesh as a terrorist country.
“There is no doubt that the Awami League itself has done it. The accounts they have presented before people after the incident have proved Awami League’s involvement,” said Moshiur Rahman.
Referring to Pramanik’s statement he noted that at least one grenade could have dropped on the truck. “Only some innocent people died while the leaders have survived.”
Moazzem Hossain Alal in his speech said Ivy Rahman died as she sat on the street. The leader of the opposition repeatedly urged Ivy Rahman to get on board the truck to which she refused.
He said Hasina knew that Ivy Rahman would have survived had she got on board the truck but she could not tell her that.
